A.
Increase in the number of council seats: amendment to article V-1 of the
constitution

306. By Resolution 20/71, the Conference at its Sixteenth Session had
requested the Council to examine in consultation with the Programme and
Finance Committees and the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters
the advisability of increasing the number of Council seats, and to submit
to the Conference a report, recommendations and, if appropriate, a suitable
draft amendment to the FAO Constitution.

307. The Conference noted that the Council had examined the question
and had recommended an increase in the number of Council seats from 34
to 40. This recommendation and a draft amendment to Article V-1 of the
Constitution was embodied in a draft resolution for the Conference prepared
by the Council.

308. Certain amendments were introduced proposing an increase of the
number of Council seats to more than 40. After deciding that these amendments
were receivable, the Conference decided that the membership of the Council
should be increased from 34 to 42.

309. The Conference further decided that the Council should consider
the whole problem of the constitution and rules of the Council, and submit
proposals to the Eighteenth Session of the Conference, which should decide
on a permanent basis on the role, functions and composition of the Council.

310. The Conference adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 8/73

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF COUNCIL SEATS

THE CONFERENCE,

Recalling its Resolution 20/71 whereby it requested the Council to examine,
in consultation with the Programme Committee, the Finance Committee and
the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters, the advisability of
increasing the number of Council seats and to submit to the Conference
a report and recommendations and, if appropriate, a suitable draft amendment
to the Constitution,

Considering the increase in the total membership of the Organization
and the desirability of giving Member Nations a better opportunity to serve
on the Council, and of ensuring balanced geographical representation,

Considering further that, in order to ensure efficiency in the exercise
of its functions the Council should in no case have a membership exceeding
one third of the total membership of the Organization,

Having examined the Report of the Council and the draft amendments to
Article V-1 of the Constitution and Rule XXII.1(b) of the General Rules
of the Organization, recommended by the Council,

Adopts the following amendments to the Constitution and the General Rules
of the Organization:

"Article V-1 of the Constitution

1. A Council of the Organization consisting of [thirty-four] forty-two
Member Nations shall be elected by the Conference ...''

" Rule XXII-1(b) of the General Rules of the Organization

(b) The Conference shall make such provisions as will ensure that the
terms of office of [eleven] fourteen members of the Council shall expire
in each [of two successive] calendar year[s and twelve in the third calendar
year]."

Decides that two additional seats shall be allocated each to the Regions
of Africa, Asia and the Far East, and Latin America, and one additional
seat each to the Regions of Europe and the Near East.

311. The Conference considered a draft amendment to Rule XI of the General
Rules of the Organization (GRO) proposed by the Sixty-First Council Session,
as well as a number of further draft amendments to the Basic Texts proposed
by the Sixtieth and Sixty-First Council Sessions.

312. With regard to the draft amendment to Rule XI GRO, the Conference
recalled that the application of this provision had given rise to a long
and difficult debate at its Sixteenth Session. The Conference concurred
with the view of the Council that this amendment eliminated existing ambiguities
and avoided both excessive rigidity and situations in which delegations
would be faced with last minute proposals to be dealt with at very short
notice. The Conference noted that under the new provision the time limit
which had given rise to the difficulties at its Sixteenth Session would
be abolished, but that at the same time the requirement concerning advance
circulation of proposals would become more effective. It considered that
this solution would best ensure a balance between freedom of debate and
protection of delegates against ''surprise'' proposals.

313. The Conference, therefore, concurred with the proposals submitted
by the Council and adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 9/73

EXAMINATION OF THE BASIC TEXTS

THE CONFERENCE,

Recalling the suggestion made by the Council at its Fifty-Fifth Session,
that the Director General examine, in consultation with the Committee on
Constitutional and Legal Matters (CCLM), the Basic Texts of the Organization
and report to the Council on any inconsistencies contained therein and
any problems arising from the application of the Basic Texts,

Recalling further its Resolution 17/71, by which it adopted a number
of amendments to the General Rules of the Organization which had been recommended
by the CCLM and endorsed by the Council,

Considering the proposals mate by the CCLM and endorsed by the Council
at its Sixtieth and Sixty-First Sessions, for certain amendments to the
Basic Texts, with a view to eliminating inconsistencies and ambiguities
and in order to bring certain provisions up-to-date,

1. Adopts the following amendments to the General Rules of
the Organization:

(i) Rules II.2(c) (ii) and XXIV.1 (d) are deleted,

(ii) In the English text of the introductory phrase of Rule II.2 and
II.4, the term "include" is substituted for the term "consist of".

(iii) In the second half of the first sentence of Rule II.9, the words
"item" and "tema" appearing in the English and Spanish versions, as well
as the equivalent term in the Arabic version, are replaced by the words
"agenda" and "programa", and their Arabic equivalent, respectively,

(iv) Rule XI is amended to read as follows:

''Proposals and amendments
1. Proposals relating to an item on the Agenda shall be introduced
in or referred to the commission or committee to which the relevant item
has been allocated, except where the item concerned is to be considered
at plenary meetings without prior referral to a commission or committee.

2. Proposals and amendments shall be introduced in writing and handed
to the Secretary-General of the Conference, who shall arrange for their
circulation as Conference documents.

3. Except as may be decided otherwise by the Conference at a plenary
meeting or by a commission or committee, proposals shall not be put to
the vote unless copies thereof have been circulated at least twenty-four
hours before the vote. The Chairman of the Conference or of the commission
or committee concerned may permit voting on amendments even though these
amendments have not been circulated or have been circulated less than twenty-four
hours before the vote.

4. A proposal may be withdrawn at any time before voting on it has commenced,
provided that the proposal has not been amended. A proposal which has thus
been withdrawn may be reintroduced by any member.''

(v) Rule XVIII is amended as follows:
''Records [of proceedings] and reports
1. Verbatim records shall be [made] kept for all plenary and commission
meetings. [Summary minutes shall be made of the proceedings of commissions].
Unless otherwise expressly decided by the committee concerned, no record
shall be [made] kept of the proceedings of the General Committee, the Nominations
Committee, the Credentials Committee, any committee of a commission, or
any committee established under Rule XV, other than the reports presented
[by item] to the Conference.

2. The verbatim records [minutes] and reports referred to in paragraph
1 shall be circulated as soon as possible to [members of delegations who
participated in the meeting concerned] delegations attending the Conference
in order to give [them] members of delegations who participated in the
meeting concerned the opportunity to [suggest corrections to the Secretariat]
check the accuracy of the record of their interventions.

3. As soon as possible after the end of the session, copies of all verbatim
records [and minutes] and a report embodying all resolutions, recommendations,
conventions, agreements, and other formal decisions adopted or approved
by the Conference shall be transmitted by the Director General to all Member
Nations and Associate Members''.

(vi) In Rule XXIV.5(a), the words ''or appoint'' are inserted after the
word ''elect'',

(vii) At the end of Rule XXV.10, the following sentence is added:

''The Council may also establish ad hoc committees consisting of a
limited number of Council Members, to meet between Council sessions for
the purpose of examining, and reporting on, such questions as the Council
may have referred to them''.

(viii) In Rule XXXV.1(a), the first sentence is amended as follows:

''When the term of office of the Director-General is due to expire.
the appointment of a new Director-General shall be placed on the agenda
of the regular session of the Conference immediately preceding the expiry
of the term of office. whenever, for other reasons, the office of the Director-General
is vacant, or notice is received of a pending vacancy, the appointment
of a new Director-General shall be placed on the agenda of the next session
of the Conference which opens not less than 90 days from the occurrence
or notice of the pending vacancy."

(Adopted 16 November 1973)

Participation
of non-member states in FAO bodies and meetings

314. The Conference concurred with the Council's recommendation concerning
amendments to the provisions of the Basic Texts governing participation
of non-member States in FAO bodies and meetings. Under this recommendation,
the eligibility for such participation, which was so far limited to States
that were members of the United Nations, would be extended, in line with
the pattern prevailing in the United Nations system of organizations, also
to States that were members of any Specialized Agency. It further agreed
that eligibility should be extended also to States members of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

315. The Conference adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 10/73

PARTICIPATION OF NON-MEMBER STATES IN FAO BODIES AND MEETINGS

THE CONFERENCE,

Having examined the amendments to the FAO Basic Texts proposed by the
Council at its Sixtieth Session,

Noting that the present provisions of the Basic Texts allow for the
participation of Nonmembers States in FAO bodies and meetings only if those
States are members of the United Nations,

Recognizing that this restriction may lead to difficulties in certain
fields of the Organization's activities in which the greatest possible
degree of universality is desirable,

Noting that the legislative texts of a number of United Nations bodies
and Specialized Agencies concerning participation of Non-Member States
extend eligibility to all States that are members either of the United
Nations or of any of the Specialized Agencies,

Considering that this wider criterion would be also appropriate for
the purpose of the relevant provisions of FAO,

1. Decides to amend Article XIV, paragraph 3(b), of the Constitution as
follows:

(b) contain provisions concerning the Member Nations of the Organization,
and such nonmember States as are members of the United Nations, any of
its Specialized Agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency which
may become parties thereto and the number of acceptances by Member Nations
necessary to bring such convention, agreement, supplementary convention
or agreement into force, and thus ensure that it will constitute a real
contribution to the achievement of its objectives. In the cases of conventions,
agreements, supplementary conventions and agreements establishing commissions
or committees, participation by non-member States of the Organization that
are members of the United Nations, any of its Specialized Agencies or the
International Atomic Energy Agency shall in addition be subject to prior
approval by at least two thirds of the membership of such commissions or committees;"

2. Decides to replace all references to "Nations ... members of the United
Nations" by the term "States ... members of the United Nations, any of
its Specialized Agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency" in
Rules XXIX.9, XXX.10, XXXI.9 and XXXII.12 (b) of the General Rules of the
Organization, in paragraphs 1, 3 and 7 of Section B of the Principles relating
to the granting of observer status in respect of Nations, and in paragraph
12 of Section A of the Principles and Procedures on Conventions and Agreements;

3. Invites the standing committees of the Council as well as bodies
established under Articles VI and XIV of the Constitution to similarly
amend at the earliest appropriate occasion those provisions of the applicable
Conventions and Agreements or Rules of Procedure that contain clauses restricting
eligiblity only to Non-Member States that are Members of the United Nations.

(Adopted 26 November 1973)

Amendments
to the financial regulations and proposed amendments to the general rules
of the organization

316. The Conference considered the recommendations of the Council for
amendments to the Financial Regulations - concerning custody of funds,
investment of funds and the delegation of authority, and on internal control
and accounts - and for consequential amendments to the General Rules of
the Organization, as proposed by the Finance Committee and the Committee
on Constitutional and Legal Matters, and adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 11/73

AMENDMENTS TO THE FINANCIAL REGULATIONS AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS
TO THE GENERAL RULES OF THE ORGANIZATION

THE CONFERENCE,

Recalling the desire of the Ad Hoc Committee of Experts established
to examine the finances of the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies
to standardize the financial regulations of the organizations,

Noting the report of the Sixty-First Council Session,

Noting that the introduction of programme budgeting in the Organization
had necessitated amendments to the Financial Regulations covering budgetary
transfers,

Noting furthermore that the adoption of the amendments to the Financial
Regulations recommended by the Council required certain consequential amendments
to the General Rules of the Organization,

Having considered also the amendment to the General Rules of the Organization
(GRO) regarding the Finance Committee's responsibilities under Rule XXVII-7(o)
GRO in the review of the Organizations's Audited Accounts, as proposed
by the Council at its Fifty-Ninth Session,

C.
Statutory report on status of conventions and agreements and amendments
thereto

317. The Conference took note of the report on the status of conventions
and agreements, submitted to it in accordance with Rule XXI-5 GRO and with
established practice, reflecting the status as of 21 September 1973.

318. The Conference was informed that on 31 October 1973 the Government
of Belgium had deposited an instrument of ratification of the Convention
on the Conservation of the Living Resources of the South-East Atlantic.

D.
Granting of official status to international organizations

319. The Conference took note of the statutory report by the Director-General
on the establishment of formal relations with international organizations
(excluding the United Nations and Specialized Agencies), both inter-governmental
and non-governmental.

E.
Confirmation of relationship agreement between FAO and the international
commission for the conservation of Atlantic tunas (ICCAT)

320. The Conference considered the Agreement establishing formal relations
between FAO and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tunas and adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 12/73

AGREEMENT BETWEEN FAO AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE
CONSERVATION Of AT ATLANTIC TUNAS

THE CONFERENCE,

Considering the desirability of ensuring close cooperation between the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT),

Noting that the Council at its Sixtieth Session, acting in accordance
with Rule XXIV-4(c) of the General Rules of the Organization, approved,
subject to confirmation by the Conference, an Agreement establishing formal
relations between FAO and ICCAT,

1. Confirms the decision taken by the Council at its Sixtieth Session approving
the Agreement between FAO and ICCAT.

321. The Conference was informed that the Director-General had submitted
the question of the participation of African liberation movements in meetings
of FAO to the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters (CCLM) which
had reported to the Sixty-First Council session and that the Council had
decided that the matter should be submitted, for guidance, to the Conference.

322. Having examined, in the light of the resolutions of the General
Assembly and of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on
this subject and on the basis of the relevant constitutional and procedural
rules of FAO, the possibilities for arranging, in consultation with the
Organization of African Unity, for participation of the liberation movements
in FAO meetings, the Conference adopted the following resolution:

Resolution 13/73

AFRICAN LIBERATION MOVEMENTS

THE CONFERENCE,

Noting with satisfaction that, in keeping with its requests as expressed
in its Resolution 8/71, and Resolution 1804(LV) of 7 August 1973 of the
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the Director-General
had pursued his efforts "to implement the relevant General Assembly Resolutions
within the mandates of FAO, and to make periodic reports to the Council
...., "

Welcoming the participation of African Liberation Movements in FAO meetings,
seminars and training centres and other activities undertaken or sponsored
by FAO/WFP,

Affirming that participation of African Liberation Movements in FAO/WFP
meetings and other activities undertaken by FAO/WFP would ultimately contribute
to the economic and social development of the territories liberated or
under the control of the liberation movements in Africa,

1. Decides to request the Director-General to make the necessary arrangements
through the Organization of African Unity to facilitate the participation
of representatives of the liberation movements in Africa, with immediate
effect,

2. Authorizes the Director-General to invite, through the Organization
of African Unity, representatives of African Liberation Movements to attend
regional and technical conferences and consultations convened in Africa
under Article VI-5 of the Constitution including the African Regional Conference
and to participate in the deliberations on items dealt with at such conferences
and consultations that may be of direct concern to the liberation movements,

3. Invites the Director-General to report to the Council periodically
on the measures taken in collaboration with the Organization of African
Unity, to facilitate the participation of liberation movements in meetings
convened, and related activities undertaken or sponsored by FAO/WFP.